I built this PC with a friend several years ago, but I'm not very familiar with the hardware now. I'd like to play more milsim games and strategy games, but my current system struggles with them. My budget is around $1,000, although I'd prefer to spend less if possible. I'm in the United States. The current specifications are an AMD Ryzen 5 2600, 16GB of RAM, an AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT, and a Gigabyte B450M DS3H-CF motherboard. What would be the best upgrade path, and should I replace the processor, graphics card, or both?
3 Answers
For 1080p gaming without ray tracing, I’d upgrade the CPU before replacing the graphics card. The RX 5700 XT is still capable in many games, while the Ryzen 5 2600 can hold back CPU-heavy milsim and RTS titles. Depending on local prices, look at a Ryzen 5 5600 or one of the X3D chips compatible with AM4. Check your motherboard’s CPU support list and update the BIOS before swapping processors.
Your B450M DS3H-CF gives you a reasonable upgrade path without immediately replacing the motherboard and RAM. A Ryzen 5 5600X3D near $180, if available locally, would be a strong gaming upgrade. Otherwise, a Ryzen 5 5500X3D or Ryzen 5 5600 could make sense depending on pricing. Make sure the board has the required BIOS version and that your power supply and CPU cooler are adequate.
The RX 5700 XT should still be fine for a lot of RTS games and 1080p gaming, so I wouldn’t replace it first unless you’re targeting higher resolutions or demanding graphics settings. If you still want a cost-effective GPU upgrade afterward, a used RTX 3070 in the roughly $240–$260 range could be worth considering, provided it’s in good condition and your power supply can handle it.
Thanks! I’ll compare the CPU upgrade options first and only look at a graphics card afterward if the 5700 XT is still holding me back.
That’s helpful, thanks! I hadn’t considered that the processor might be the main limitation.